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Volu me 68, Issue 6
A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School
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Reviewing the Past: The Dining Hall
Belmont Hill Dining Hall circa 1966 from the BH Archives (Credit: Ms. Cushman, School Archivist) By Abe Tolkoff ‘21 Panel Staff Perhaps the most miraculous space on campus, the dining hall, achieves a seemingly impossible feat on a daily basis: feeding the hundreds of people of the Belmont Hill Community. Its central location proves the importance of its duty to the
school, but what is the history of this space which many look upon with eyes of change? The first appearance in the archives of the Dining Hall is in a 1966 publication of the Alumni Bulletin. In the article, then Headmaster Charles Hamilton updates the school community on the exciting modernization of the Shaler House and specifically the kitchen and dining
A LOOK INSIDE THE PANEL
NEWS....................................2-3 -Dining Hall Plans -Regeneron Scholars -Wuhan Coronavirus Scare -2020 Democratic Candidates SPORTS.................................4-5 -Winter Sports Updates -Athlete of the Issue CENTERSPREAD...............6-7 -Star Wars Movie Ranking OPINIONS...........................8-9 -Qasem Soleimani Death -Moral Dilemma ARTS.................................10-11 -Playlist of the Issue -Artist of the Issue -Art Awards Chapel BACKPAGE...........................12
hall spaces. He writes: “[t]oday we have a modern institutional kitchen completely equipped [and] considerably enlarged.” What is more interesting than the description of the new space is the sharp criticism of the old. Hamilton began his essay remarking on the “antiquated old kitchen with obsolete equipment” which served “this many people in two sittings in a ter-
ribly overcrowded dining room.” For those who have perused the current Dining Hall, these two descriptions, antiquated old kitchen and overcrowded dining room are relevant once more. Continued on page 2
Wrestling Secures ISL Championship By Jack Weldon ‘20 Panel Staff As the end of the season approaches, the Varsity Wrestling team is setting its sights on the ISL and New England tournaments to cap off its dominant dual meet performance. Over the course of the past month, captains Harrison Shapiro ‘20 and Hamza Shemsu ‘20 have led their team to a series of victories over league rivals. Beginning in January with a trip down to Blair Academy in New Jersey, the group had the chance to compete with some of the best wrestlers in the nation. Notably, this is the first team in Belmont Hill history to wrestle in a dual meet against Blair Academy, Baylor Academy, and St. Joseph’s High School. Inspired by the skill they faced, the team wasted no time in bringing that energy back to the NEISWA league and the ISL. From Frederick Pimental ‘23 at 106 pounds to Tim Brown ‘20 at 220 pounds, the team’s solid lineup has trounced any league competition in their way. With decisive victories over ISL squads such as Nobles, St. Sebastian’s, Roxbury Latin, St. Paul’s, Brooks, Milton, and St. Mark’s, the team won the ISL dual meet championship for the fifth year in a row. Their victories did not halt there; traveling down to Tabor
Academy for the Bidstrup-Seabrook Duals in late January, the boys bested New England competitors such as Philips Exeter and Avon Old Farms. On top of that, the team secured a key win over longtime rival Northfield Mount Hermon, the first dual meet victory over this formidable opponent in three years. Over the past weekend, the team dominated the ISL Graves Kelsey wresting tournament, securing the championship with all fourteen participating wrestlers placing. Alex Gavronsky ‘23 was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament, while captain Harrison Shapiro was named Globe All-Scholastic and received the Most Pins, Least Time award. For the first time in a few years, the team is on track to have a shot at becoming undefeated New England champions. Despite this exciting prospect, Coaches Bradley, Leonardis, Davis, Sullivan, and Kaplan refuse to let their edge dull. Grueling practices and hard training abound, but the wrestlers know that through this hardship they will reach success.☐
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A History of Belmont Hill’s Dining Hall
cont. from front page
Most interestingly, Belmont Hill’s accrediting body in 1966 had “privately acknowledged that… these conditions were disgraceful and marveled at the minor miracle that was being accomplished under the circumstances.” Once more, simple parallels can be drawn be-
“ the resemblance is uncanny for the fifty-four years that separate the two spaces. ”
tween the culinary feats accomplished by the current dining staff and those in 1966. Even more impressive is the similarity in style between the Dining Hall Hamilton introduced and the one we now eat in: the resemblance is uncanny for the fifty-four years that separate the two spaces. While the Dining Hall received minor updates in 1987 with the addition of the Lynch Center and Byrnes Library, it was not until the summer of 2018 that significant changes were made. Most older boys will remember the
Belmont Hill Dining Hall in 1966 Courtesy of Ms. Cushman, BH Archives BH Dining Hall 1987, BH Archives transformation of the space over that summer and the surprise of the new arrangement upon returning to school in late August. Furthermore, reactions to the updates mimicked the words of Hamilton in 1966, with specific emphasis placed on the modernity of the architecture and inge-
nuity of the design. However, while a matter of decades separated prior reconstruction efforts, the school now finds itself once again constricted by the space only a matter of months later. While rumors of renovation and innovation echo throughout the student body, many boys look to Headmaster Schneider with hopes for an improved dining experience and updated atmosphere. In response,
Mr. Schneider cordially comments that the Board of Trustees is “beginning to contemplate a broader campus planning process.” Furthermore, they “expect one of the key priorities in that process will be consideration of the dining hall at Belmont Hill.” It remains clear that Belmont Hill is an evolving place and that younger students will certainly be involved in the transformation process as we look forward. ☐
Coronavirus Spreads throughout China and the World By Sreetej Digumarthi ‘21, Sammy Jomaa ‘21, Charlie Wells ‘21 Panel Staff On New Year’s Eve, the World Health Organization discovered a new strain of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China. From Wuhan, it has spread throughout Asia, Western Europe, Canada, and the United States, where twelve cases have been confirmed, one of which is in Massachusetts. Coronaviruses cause an infection in the nose, sinuses, or upper throat, and may also cause pneumonia, or fluid in the lungs; however, most varieties of the disease are not deadly. Known deadly strains of the coronavirus include MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) and States in the US with reported coronavirus cases (CDC) SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).
“ According to an analysis by Imperial College London, each infected person, on average, will spread the virus to 1.5-3.5 people. ” The recent strain of coronavirus has been named 2019-nCoV (2019 novel CoronaVirus). According to an analysis by Imperial College London, each infected person, on average, will spread the virus to 1.5-3.5 people. Another study, using more recent data, found that each person could infect between three and five people, a higher transmission rate than SARS, which killed 774 people in 2003. Because of how contagious the virus is, the Chinese government has quarantined ten cities in an attempt to limit the spread further. Scientists believe that 2019nCov has a fatality rate of 2.8%, and, as of February 8th, almost 40,000 cases have been confirmed. Most notably, the death toll of the virus, currently at 813, has surpassed that of the infamous SARS epidemic, almost two decades ago.
Countries with reported coronavirus cases colored in red Though it may seem far removed from Belmont Hill, the coronavirus has already made a big impact on our community. The school-sponsored trip to China over March break has been canceled over concerns of the disease and Henry Moses, a member of the Fifth Form, returned months early from his
school year abroad in China on January 27th and has been quarantined in his house for two weeks to ensure that he doesn’t have the virus. Despite the hysteria, Mrs. David, our school’s nurse, says that the spread of the disease can be stopped with some standard sanitary practices: washing your hands after going
to the bathroom and before going to lunch, coughing into your elbow instead of your hands and not coming to school if you’re sick. When asked to comment on the situation in China, Henry said: “It all developed so fast. I remember reading something about it in late December, but then there was no news about it for about a month. Once news broke out again about a week and a half ago, it still seemed harmless. But over the course of my last 5 or so days in China, it was getting more and more serious by the hour. My family and I didn’t really leave our house during the last 3 days of my time, and the news was on all the time. Something that really struck me about the news coverage was that in-between new reports, there were ads portraying China’s power, mostly its military power. The message was clear: China is as stable as ever. The spring festival is going on right now, and every year during this time, the world’s greatest human migration occurs. It is a tradition for families to return to their “old homes” to celebrate the lunar new year with their family there. Personally, I went to my host mom’s home in Inner Mongolia to celebrate. With that being said, the disease could not have come at a worse time. Everybody is packed close together on [public] transportation, leaving their houses. A perfect combination that combined to create the situation China is faced with right now. Western and Chinese Media alike must not forget what is on the line here: human life. Every day, more and more people are being infected and dying. I think about my host family or the Chinese friends I made, and worry. They are stuck in China and vulnerable. I have noticed that the human aspect of the situation has been taken out of the coverage, replaced by a focus on the political or economic consequences of the situation. With that said, I ask everybody to keep the people of China, particularly those who are being affected, in our thoughts and prayers.” ☐
Model UN Takes Eight Boys to Baltimore
By Charlie Wells ‘21 Panel Staff Following a month of research and preparation, eight boys, Sammy Jomaa, Charlie Wells, Charlie Booth, Paul Vander Vort, Theo Stoll, Gabe Klug, Luke Carroll, and Morris William Henry Smith III, along with Mrs. Zener flew down to Baltimore to participate in JHUMUNC (Johns Hopkins University Model United Nations Conference) on Thursday the 6th. We served in a wide range of committees, ranging from electing the new president of FIFA to the US Senate after WWI to the Press Corps. After having served nearly 19 hours in committee over four
days, the boys flew home on Sunday the 9th, excited to be home, but sad that it was over. The trip provided us with a great chance to experience Baltimore, and three boys, Jomaa, Smith, and Carroll, all took the opportunity to visit Johns Hopkins. We visited
“ The conference itself was also very well run and offered plenty of time for some lively debate.” a myriad of different restaurants and got to experience historic Lexington Market, founded in 1782. The conference itself was also very well run and offered plenty of time for some lively
debate. Of course, as is a chance at any overnight conference, three of us, Carroll, Wells, and Stoll were called for Midnight Crisis, which means that one is woken up in the middle of the night to respond to a crisis in their committee. We all greatly enjoyed our time at Johns Hopkins and are eager to come back next year! ☐
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Renny Gong and Jake Pappo Named Regeneron Semifinalists By Jack Weldon ‘22 Panel Staff Advanced Science Research (ASR) students Jake Pappo ‘20 and Renny Gong ‘20 were named 2020 Regeneron STS Scholars on January 8th. The Regeneron Science Talent Search is, according to their website, “the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors”. Out of a pool of 1,993 applicants, a mere 300 scholars were chosen to receive the cash prize of $2,000 and to advance as semifinalists in the competition. Jake Pappo works as a research intern at The Carter Lab at Mass General Hospital. His project focuses on the development of real-time diagnosis of glioma, a malignant form of brain cancer, utilizing the fluorescence of molecular beacons. His research report, titled “Molecular Beacon-based Real-time Diagnostic for Glioma”, not only detailed his findings and efforts to create a new, safer way to diagnose cancer, but also accompanied a series of essays on his experience working as a high school student in a professional hospital environment. “I am very grateful and humbled after hearing that my work received recognition from such a prestigious competition,” Pappo remarked, “especially given all the amazing research submitted by high school students across the nation.” Pappo will be Renny Gong ‘20 and Jake Pappo ‘20 with Mr. Courtney continuing his work in the Carter Lab through-
out his senior year before departing in May. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Gabrieli Lab, Renny Gong has spent the past two years researching the human brain and its behavior. The project submitted to the Regeneron STS, titled “Differences in Cannabis Perception and Belief Updating Between Adults and Adolescents,” was a self-designed survey that sought to analyze optimism bias in relation to cannabis usage. With responses from all across the nation, Gong’s findings may challenge his field’s traditionally held views on belief updating. “We have been lucky to have seven STS Scholars from Belmont Hill in as many years, which is quite remarkable,” relayed Mr. Courtney, the founder and director of the ASR program. After selecting a cohort of the highestperforming science students in the sophomore grade each year, Courtney guides his students as they work at an array of professional labs in greater Boston and oversees their progress through the arduous Regeneron application. The program fosters the scientific skills of promising STEM students while providing them with valuable insight into the world of professional research. Congratulations to Renny, Jake, Mr. Courtney for their Regeneron success. The community will have the chance to learn more about the various ASR projects at the late-spring ASR poster defense. ☐
Democratic Candidates: How Are They Doing?
By Sreetej Digumarthi ‘21 Panel Staff
Joe Biden, who represented Delaware in the Senate from 1973 to 2009 and served as Vice President of the United States from 2009 to 2017 under Barack Obama, currently leads the Democratic field with a national polling average of 28.7%. However, in the recent Iowa Democratic Caucus, Biden came in fourth place, receiving 15.8% of the vote and six of the forty-one delegates for the Democratic National Convention. Some of Biden’s policy positions include the federal decriminalization but not legalization of marijuana, building upon the Affordable Care Act for healthcare which would provide both a private and public option for health insurance and support for the Green New Deal, a comprehensive plan that aims to help battle climate change. Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic-socialist who campaigned for the Democratic nomination in 2016 and currently represents Vermont in the Senate as an independent, is in second place in the democratic field and has a polling average of 23.3%. In the Iowa Caucus, Sanders won the popular vote by 1.6% with 26.6% of the vote but received the second most delegates at 12 due to the caucus system. Some of Sanders’s key policies include a wealth tax on those who have net-worths above 32 million dollars, canceling student loan debt, making public universities, colleges, and trade schools free for all, support for the Green New Deal which Sanders himself co-wrote, and support for the Medicare for All plan which would essentially get rid of private insurance in favor of a public option. Currently representing Massachusetts in the Senate, Elizabeth Warren sits in third place in the democratic field with a polling average of 14.9%. Warren came in third in the Iowa Caucus, earning 20.2% of the popular vote and eight of the forty-one delegates. Some of Warren’s key policies include support for the Green New Deal to help with climate change, a 2% tax on wealth over fifty million dollars and a 6% tax on wealth over one billion dollars, support for the Medicare for All plan, the elimination of the electoral college, and the elimination of private prisons. Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire who served as mayor of New York from 2002 to 2013, is currently in fourth place in the polls with a polling average of 8%. Despite spending 300 million dollars on ads for his campaign, Bloomberg only received 0.1% of the popular
The original Democratic Candidates; the cutthroat race has eliminated candidates such as O’Rourke, Booker, Harris, and Castro vote in Iowa, earning him no delegates; however, his campaign is planning to double its ad spending even after his disappointing performance. Some of Bloomberg’s main policies include the federal decriminalization but not legalization of marijuana, support for the Green New Deal, expansion of health care coverage by building on the Affordable Care Act, adjusting taxes on capital gains, and implementing a 5% surtax on individuals making over 5 million dollars a year. Pete Buttigieg, a 38-year-old veteran who served as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana from 2012 to 2020 and the first major presidential candidate to be openly gay, is currently in fifth place in the democratic field with a polling average of 6.7%. Despite his national polling numbers, he had an excellent performance in the Iowa Caucus, earning the most delegates out of all the candidates at thirteen and coming in second place in the popular vote, with 25% of caucus-goers supporting him. Buttigieg, or “Mayor Pete” as he is affectionately referred to in South Bend, attended Harvard University and was a Rhodes Scholar. Some of Buttigieg’s policies include a Medicare for All Who Want it Plan which would create a public option to compete with existing private health insurance, support for the Green New Deal, raising the federal minimum wage
to fifteen dollars, and political representation for Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Andrew Yang, who was named a Champion of Change in 2012 and a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship in 2015 by President Obama, ran a non-profit called Venture for America that created thousands of jobs and helped many businesses start-up before launching his campaign and currently sits in sixth place in the polls, with a polling average of 4.7%. Despite earning only 1% of the popular vote in Iowa and no delegates, Yang views his performance in the state as a success as he beat senators, billionaires, and former governors. Many of Yang’s innovative policies are focused on solving the problems that automation and artificial intelligence are creating, such as the loss of over four million manufacturing jobs in America, and include a universal basic income of one thousand dollars per month to every United States citizen, human-centered capitalism, which would prioritize the wellbeing of Americans rather than the profits of companies, and a Medicare For All plan, which would create a public option in addition to existing private insurance and would aim to lower healthcare costs by controlling the prices of prescription drugs, investing in new technology, and focusing on preventative
care. Yang’s website also includes other unique policies such as giving Americans one hundred “Democracy Dollars” per year specifically for use in elections to drown out lobbying money by a ratio of four to one, ranked-choice voting, the decriminalization but not legalization of opiates (which would make it a crime to deal these drugs but not to possess or use them) to encourage treatment for addicts rather than imprisonment, safe injection sites, and an environmental plan that would include investment into research for climate solutions such as geoengineering and the expansion of nuclear power. Amy Klobuchar, who represents Minnesota in the Senate and was the first elected female senator in her state’s history, is currently in seventh place in the polls, with a polling average of 3.9%. A Yale University graduate, she obtained a Law degree from UChicago and was elected as the county prosecutor for Minnesota’s most populous county. Klobuchar came in fifth place in the Iowa Caucus, earning one delegate and 12.3% of the popular vote. On the 2020 campaign trail, some of her key policies include support for the Green New Deal, the expansion of health care coverage through a public option in addition to private insurance, the federal legalization of marijuana, and a federal assaults weapon ban with a buyback program. ☐
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Alpine Skiing Races to Victory By Luke Hogan ‘22 Panel Staff The Alpine Skiers have shown the ISL, once again, how to ski the slopes. The team has confidently won all races (JV and Varsity) to date and has nearly secured the ISL championship title. Danny Crowley, Sascha Gannon, Quinn Richards, Anton Schmitt, Luke Theberge, and Jack Theberge have all been consistent members of the Varsity squad with Luke Guleserrian, James Hauser
and Jack Olton joining in separate races. With most members of the varsity team placing in the top fifteen during competitions, Belmont Hill has been represented by an excellent group of skiers. This season, Belmont Hill has competed in three races out of a total of eight so far. The team will be heading up to Sunday River next Wednesday in order to compete in the NEPSAC championships against schools across New England. The Panel wishes the Alpine Ski team the best of luck in securing an ISL title and, hopefully, a NEPSAC trophy. ☐
A Belmont Hill student skiing down a hill (Photo from Communications office)
Belmont Hill Hockey: The Miracle ontheIce group. While the players are relaBy Abe Tolkoff ‘22 Panel Staff
Belmont Hill Hockey playing against St. Sebastions (Photo by Adam Richins)
tively young, with only three seniors on the team, they have bonded extremely well and continue to foster Despite a slightly disappoint- a strong sense of team spirit. Senior ing beginning to their season, Captain Luke Khozozian comments the Varsity Hockey team bounced that “the Lawrenceville Tournament back strongly, exhibiting true resilience by dominating the Law- “ The biggest factor has been the leadership renceville Tournament over Win- of captain Luke Khozozian and seniors Liam Kelly and Zephan Kraus.“ ter Break. In the finals against the Nichols School, the team capitalized on their momentum through- provides an elite team bonding exout the weekend and won a strong perience” and that “the team is a lot 3-1 game. Building off this exciting closer than it has been in years past.” victory, the team went on to win One tradition that the players the Belmont Hill-Nichols tourna- have continued in full stride is dressment after Christmas. “The big- ing up on game days during school gest factor has been the leader- hours. Not only does this build exship of captain Luke Khozozian citement for the team, but also the and seniors Liam Kelly and Zeph- rest of the student body, who have an Kraus,” says Coach McCarthy. responded strongly to the recent suc Back in ISL games, the cesses of the program. As they look team lost a close game to Milton ahead to a full schedule of vital games Academy but quickly returned in in the coming weeks, The Panel wishfull force to defeat St. Sebastian’s at es them the best and hopes for a conhome, and Thayer Academy away. tinuation of the strong upward swell An important aspect of the team they have recently been riding.☐ this year is the camaraderie among
Varsity Squash Continuing the History of Excellence By Andrew Lee ‘20 Panel Staff Since the start of the season, the Varsity Squash team has presented a commanding performance with a current overall record of nine wins and one loss. After their win at the annual Francis G. Jackson tournament, this team has continued to blaze through school after school, minus the minor hiccup against Deerfield. Other than a significant defeat against Philips Academy Andover earlier in the season, the squash team achieved an impressive
victory over St. Paul’s School, after losing to them for two of the previous years. Though Milton Academy looms on the horizon for the ISL Champion decider, the squash team is looking forward to High School Nationals at Trinity. Currently seeded among the top 8 schools in the country, the Belmont Hill squash team is looking to make a dent at this event. “All the members of the team are working hard day in and day out. What will happen at High School Nationals is going to be the result of their dedication.” remarks Coach Brownell ☐.
Doug Conigliario competing against a Nobles student (Photo by Jalen Walker ‘21)
Belmont Hill Basketball Shooting for A Strong Finish By Jackson Riffe ‘20 Panel Staff
Jaden Hill ‘22 laying up a shot against Milton (Photo by Adam Richins)
Following a disappointing start to the season, the Varsity Basketball team has rebounded in an impressive way. With a thrilling overtime win against Milton Academy, two dominating performances against Groton and BB&N, and another exciting victory over Lawrence Academy, the team began to hit its stride mid-season. With stellar performances by Max Hall ‘21, Josh Baldwin ‘21, and Martin Wilson ‘22, the team has climbed its
way to a 4-5 ISL record. After tough losses to Loomis Chaffee, Phillips Exeter Academy, and rival St. Sebs, the team is hoping to bounce back strong against Thayer, Brooks, and Govs later in the season. Discussing the season so far, Coach Murphy remarked, “Despite some struggles with injuries earlier in the season, the attitude of the team has been generally positive and the daily effort has been impressive, and hopefully we see some better results in the month of February.” Good luck to the Varsity Basketball team for the rest of the season! ☐
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Athlete of the Issue: Harrison Shapiro ‘20 By Daniel Bitner ‘22 Contributing Writer For over a decade, the Belmont Hill wrestling team has experienced immense success, having won many ISL, Graves Kelsey, and New England Championships, and having placed AllAmericans for consecutive years. This year, the team looks equally poised to make another run at these championships, with abundant star-athletes and leaders. However, both on and off the mat, among the numerous skilled and experienced wrestlers, no one quite stands out like Harrison Shapiro. A life-long competitor, Harrison has wrestled for 14 years. Now the captain of the team, he has been instrumental in leading Belmont Hill to two ISL dual championships, two GravesKelsey Tournament Championships, and two New England Championships during his time on the team. Additionally, Harrison became an All American last year after placing at the Prep National Tournament at Lehigh University. Despite his own lofty accomplishments, including being named a Globe All-Scholastic Wrestler, he is a true team player and leader. Harrison finds his most pride in his team’s achievements, saying that “the most memorable part of my wrestling experience would definitely be being a part of two and hopefully three New England Championship teams, and being surrounded by awesome teammates.” It is this teamfirst attitude, wanting to help every individual to achieve their goals, that makes Harrison an extraordinary leader. Crediting his own growth and success to previous Belmont Hill captains, Harrison looks to have the same positive impact on each younger wrestler on the team. Constantly leading by example, he is the ideal role-model, serv-
ing as someone that everyone looks up to. He works hard each practice and match, wrestling not just to win, but also to find ways to consistently improve. If he is not on the wrestling mat leading a warm-up or drilling a move, Harrison can be found daily
“ Now the captain of the team, Harrison has been instrumental in leading Belmont Hill to two ISL Dual championships during his time on the team”
in the weight room lifting or on the track running. It is through this commitment to the sport and work ethic that he has made a profound impact on each wrestler at Belmont Hill. Departing after this year to Franklin and Marshall, the wrestling team will be sad to lose such a great wrestler and role model, though they will wish him the best of luck as he looks to continue his wrestling success in college. However, this season is still weeks away from being over, and as Harrison emphasizes, the team needs to continue to strive for success, with his ultimate goal for this year’s team to “dominate the ISL and win the Graves Kelsey Tournament and New Englands.” With the first two of these goals accomplished, and with a competitor and leader like Harrison, the team will certainly be poised to make another run at the New England championship. ☐
Harrison Shapiro ‘20 wrestling in a match (Photo by Jalen Walker ‘21)
Nordic Skiing: Dominating the Competition
many of the downhills became completely covered in ice and the turns inundated with slush imprints from fallen skiers. The second race was a The Nordic team has had a skate relay at Dublin organized by strong start into the season with four Belmont Hill and Rivers in which the wins in Lakes Regions League Races and top skiers participating in East“ Aidan McGaugh ‘20, Charlie Donahue ‘20, and Christiaan Eikeboom ‘21 competed ern Cups races at the collegiate level. against some of the best collegiate skiiers dur Many skiers, both experienced ing these challenging races up north.” and novice, participated in the annual Craftsbury trip shortly after the New Year. During the ride up to Craftsbury, one of the buses skidded on the road skiers had to tag off to partners afcrashing into a ditch, slightly delay- ter doing 2k laps. The third race was ing the start of the trip. Luckily none a Classic Race at Holderness which of the skiers were injured. Crafts- involved many large hills (like a rollbury continued to be a major learn- ercoaster). Notably, Aidan McGaugh ing experience for novice skiers, and ‘20 tied for first place. The fourth race an important few days of technique was a skate sprint race called the St. and cardio training for those with Pauls’ Sprints in which skiers navia few more years under their belts. gated a complicated series of heats, Three of the top skiers on the semis finals, and finals. The day ended team have been racing in Eastern Cups in three of the eight Varsity skiers in during several weekends, competitions the A Final and a decisive win again. which score points for Junior National Overall, the Nordic Ski team Team qualification. Aidan McGaugh has been off to an impressively strong ‘20, Charlie Donahue ‘20, and Chris- start and is well placed to win the tiaan Eikeboom ‘21 competed against Lakes Region title again and possisome of the best collegiate skiers dur- bly vie for the NEPSAC title as well, ing these challenging races up north. which would be the first in Belmont The team has participated in Hill nordic skiing history. The Panel four Lakes Regions races so far and wishes the best of luck to the Nordic won all of them, an unprecedented Ski team as they continue their historfeat in the history of Belmont Hill ic run. Bring home the hardware! ☐ Nordic. The first race was at Proctor Academy and the skiers had to complete 4 short laps to finish the 5k race due to an uncharacteristic lack of snow. The race was challenging as By Howard Huang ‘22 Panel Staff
Charlie Donahue ‘20 gliding through the snow (Photo by Jamie Doucett)
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Why Trump's Iran Gambit Pays Off By Sammy Jomaa '21 Contributing Writer On January 3rd, 2020, Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) foreign and clandestine operations division known as the Quds Force and, by some accounts, the second most powerful man in Iran, was killed in an American drone strike. Upon hearing this news, many across the Middle East celebrated: thousands, including many Shiites, rejoiced in the streets of Baghdad, and people gave out candy across Gaza and Syria. Their schadenfreude was warranted: Soleimani haunted the region. He and his puppet militias have killed tens of thousands from Gaza to Yemen and, most recently, he ordered the slaughter of over 500 Iraqis, many of them Shiites, who were protesting against Iranian interference in their country. Even in Iran, one of the most common chants in ongoing anti-regime protests, started in response to the regime’s cover-up of the downing of a passenger plane on January 8th, is “Soleimani was a murderer; his leader [Supreme Leader Khamenei] is too.” Despite the jubilance of many Middle Easterners, many in the West have decried the killing of Soleimani as an unnecessary and destabilizing escalation - a belief with which I firmly disagree. Instead, I believe that the strike was exactly what the United States’ Iran policy needed. The drone strike came as a result of the Trump Administration’s failure to place an unacceptably high cost on Iranian actions that harm the U.S. or its allies - to reestablish deterrence with Iran - despite numerous provocations. First, the United States failed to retaliate against Iran in summer 2019 after the IRGC attacked multiple oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, a violation of international law. Second, also last June, the IRGC shot down an American Global Hawk surveillance drone flying over international airspace; the United States did nothing. Then, on September 14th, Iran attacked Aramco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, an important American ally, temporarily cutting the Gulf monarchy’s oil production in half; again, the United States did nothing to deter future provocations. Following this escalation, the United States launched a cyberattack that interfered with the IRGC’s ability to attack Gulf oil tankers, but clearly it wasn’t enough to deter future action. Several months later, on December 27th, Kataib Hezbollah, a Quds Force-controlled Shia Militia in Iraq, killed an American citizen who worked as a defense contractor
and injured several coalition soldiers in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base. In response, the United States killed 25 militiamen in airstrikes on five different locations associated with the group. Though a clear and powerful response, the American airstrike failed to reestablish deterrence with Iran. On New Year’s Eve, Kataib Hezbollah attacked the American Embassy in Baghdad and penetrated parts of the compound. The assault was only called off after the emergency deployment of about 100 Marines. In retaliation, the United States killed General Soleimani, the man directly responsible for the last two provocations, on January 3rd. For now, this strike has successfully reestablished deterrence with Iran. In retaliation for the death of their top general, Iran launched 15 missiles, 4 of which failed, at two Iraqi bases where U.S. forces were stationed on January 8th. The attack killed no Americans or Iraqis but left dozens of American soldiers with concussions. This appears to have been by design, suggesting that this was just a ‘PR’ strike meant to project an image of strength rather than a true retaliation, as evidenced by images of the damage showing that the Iranians chose to avoid striking areas of the base where personnel would be. Furthermore, Iran warned Iraq of its strike, likely knowing that the United States would be tipped off by the Iraqis either directly or by their precautionary measures. The only thing the Iranian regime has achieved on its night of vengeance was the downing of a civilian plane carrying over a hundred Iranian citizens, which has sparked massive protests against the regime. It’s possible that Iran will further retaliate by attacking a softer target with plausible deniability, as they’ve occasionally done before. But, as of now, it appears that the United States has reestablished deterrence with Iran. The other two ‘consequences’ for the killing of Solemani have been meaningless so far. Despite early media reports, Iraq did not kick the United States military out of the country. Instead, the legislature only asked the government to, according to an Iraqi parliamentarian, “do whatever it should do to limit and gradually end foreign forces in Iraq”. As legal experts have noted, the vote was “worthless”. Furthermore, all Kurdish members of parliament (MP) and the majority of Sunni MPs protested the vote despite threats made by Kataib Hezbollah. The second ‘consequence’ was Iran announcing that they would violate restrictions on uranium enrichment established in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), otherwise known as the “Iran Deal.” First
of all, we don’t know how strictly Iran was following the JCPOA since they have a long history of failed and successful violations of the deal, most notably their prevention of the International Atomic Energy Agency from investigating their military sites. Second, seeing as the regime has yet to back their announcement with concrete action, it’s possible that this is just more bluster from the regime for PR purposes, a common tactic among Middle Eastern leaders. By killing Soleimani, the United States demonstrated to Iran that it would pay a high cost for direct anti-American actions, thus reestablishing the deterrence with Iran the US had lost over the past sev-
Map courtsey of Business Insider
eral months. In doing so, the US has forced Iran’s hand and tactics; instead of direct attacks on America and its allies, Iran and its proxies will now most likely return to their old tactic of low-level harassment. Despite this achievement, the Trump Administration should not be lulled into a false sense of security; Iran is America’s primary threat in the region, and it will remain so as long as the Islamist regime is in power. Luckily, the Iranian people have once again taken to the streets to demonstrate for the end of the regime, even after 1500 protestors were massacred in late 2019. The question is, will our President do what’s needed to help them? ☐
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B elmont HIll Opinions
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Debate of the Issue: Brains vs. Brawn in a Zombie Apocalypse
Pro-Brawn
zombies themselves. Everybody knows that zombies love one thing - brains. If we take our best Einstein vs. Hercules. Edison vs. athletes and force them to focus solely on Achilles. Newton vs. Serena Williams. their brute strength and not their intelliThe clear denominator with all of these gence, then the zombies will have no true hypothetical matchups is that there is an desire to attack us. We possess nothing they overwhelming winner. The strength and desire, and thus we would be able to create brawn of Hercules, Achilles, and Williams a false peace treaty, before bringing them would be able to completely overpower the all together nerds that oppose them. for a peace Nothing would change when a offering zombie apocalypse hits the world in 2054. and nuking These flesh-eating devils would immediate- them all. ly destroy the scientists and brains of the operation, and thus would keep preventing Brawn humanity from finding a cure. The only would win way to fight back would be through brute in a zombie strength. apocalypse, Who are we really going to trust and people with an AK-47 in the heat of the moment, who believe Thomas Edison and his lightbulb or Serena in fact Williams? It’s pretty obvious the zombies know that’s would be horrified to go against Serena the answer. but would lick their chops to get a shot at If we sent Edison. a bunch of This is the same with regards to nerds onto people who are both decently athletic and the battlenerds.The resistance needs pure animals field, there out there with no desire to think but inwould be stead attack and kill the invading zombies. no human Furthermore, in history, brute race left to strength has always overcome the smart, tell of the knowledgeable nerds. The most successmassacre. ful people on earth are not those who are Invest smart but those will athletic and physical in brute capabilities. strength, From Floyd Mayweather, to Leband there Illustration by Elias Hyde '20 ron James, to Patrick Mahomes, and even is a chance. Invest in the nerds, and it’s all Jameis Winston, athletic success tops all over for humanity. in society. We shouldn’t forget about these people when a zombie apocalypse hits the earth and threatens to end mankind. The final point for why we should choose brawn over brains is in fact the By James Markis '20 Panel Staff
Pro-Brains
By Jake Pappo ‘20
Panel Staff
Brains would utterly annihilate brawn. As evidenced by my past debate of the issues, I always win because of my superior intelligence. This is the perfect example of how a zombie apocalypse would end up. This would be the same for anybody c omp e t i ng in a zombie apocalypse. If the goal is to survive the invasion, you need the smartest people to plan out specialized attacks and create enhanced technology to defeat them. In addition to attempting to survive and create technology to destroy these animals, a cure needs to be created.
Assuming humanity did not realize the severity until 6 months in, a full cure within 18 months from the first attack, would allow millions if not billions to survive. The brains clearly have the advantage but I also feel the need to dismantle the brawn argument. These zombies are just as athletic and strong as the greatest our planet has to offer, but imagine the normal man from Minnesota. He is absolutely screwed if we go with the brawn approach. By finding a cure though, we allow many more people to be able to contribute to the war effort and work our way slowly to ending the invasion. The only advantage over these zombies is our intelligence, and we need to put it to good use. Take advantage of their inability to walk in a straight line, and use it against them. These zombies are not going to be killed by the hands of our best athletes but instead by the brains of our smartest men and women. If we invest in brute strength, we will put up a good fight for a couple months, but the ultimate outcome would be a slow and painful death for mankind. If we invest in technology, protection, and a cure, it would be an unbeatable combination against the zombies.
Humanity can only outlast the zombies for so long with brute strength, but a cure and vaccine would be able to save humanity indefinitely. Based on calculations from the video game “Plague Inc”, it would take humanity roughly 8-12 months to create a cure.
Moral Dilemma: Effective Altruism By Charles Booth '20 Panel Staff
country perhaps, but similarly in danger of death, and equally within your means to save, at no great cost – and absolutely no danger – to yourself?” Singer originated the ‘effective altruism’ movement, an ideology which seeks to make every dollar count and bring maximum benefit to the most people. There are a number of important ramifications to this, but some of the most important are the need to donate as much as possible to charity, both time and resources, and to choose a charity which benefits people the most. As it happens, combating malaria has the best lives-saved-per-dollar ratio
due to human imperfection, and as a result, does not do much to encourage people to behave more morally because they cannot hope to reach his standards. Secondly, Singer does not put any value on anything other than the basic necessities of life. Things like Celtics’ games are a complete waste of time and money because they do nothing to help others. In reality however, entertainment
Last weekend my Dad offered to pay for me to take three friends to see the Celtics. I love basketball, having been a star on the JV bench for a world record four years! At the same time, I was planning to hand over the scholarship grant for $1,000 that I had secured through something known as the VING Project. The money is going to a young Dominican woman to try to help her stay at UMass Dartmouth. As an alternative, he offered to match the scholarship thus provoking a rather tricky ethical dilemma. Is it morally wrong to spend money on one’s "There are a number of important self when through sacrifice one could do so ramifications to this, but some of much good? This question is a variation on a the most important are the need thought experiment from philosopher Pe- to donate as much as possible to ter Singer. He suggested that if we were to charity, both time and resources, see a child drowning in a shallow pond on and to choose a charity which our way to school, we would not hesitate to wade into the pool and save the child, ruinbenefits people the most." ing our $20 shoes and causing us to have to buy new ones. We don’t hesitate to give up $20 to save the life of someone next to us, due to the availability of cheap preventative why should we hesitate to donate that $20? measures. So, should we all give 90% of our money to malaria prevention? "We don't hesitate to give up $20 While this may seem difficult to arto save the life of someone next gue with, it somehow is distinctly unappealto us, why should we hesitate to ing. Simply put, Singer’s idea of morality is too strict. He assumes first and foremost that donate that $20? we don’t owe anything to ourselves, and that we need to give up all that we enjoy in order As Singer wrote, “would it make any differ- to attempt to be moral people. Such a high ence if the child were far away, in another standard for morality is largely unattainable Illustration by Elias Hyde '20
is, in part, what makes life worth living in the eyes of many. Ignoring so removes that which separates us from the animals, and few people would be willing to do so. We should be allowed to make ourselves happy, even if it means making proximity a consideration within our own morality. Oh, you wanna know what I decided to do? Ask Hamza if he went to the game! ☐
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Travaglini’s
The Winter Concert: A Talent-Filled Night By Ryan Cannistraro ‘21 Contributing Writer It was a brisk Tuesday night on January 28. The stars were beautifully shining in the sky, but a more luminous light was coming from the Wadsworth room in the Jordan Athletic Center. Many eager students and parents gathered, anxiously awaiting the start of the Winter Recital, the temptation intensified with the wonderful arrangement of refreshments.
The winter recital was one of the most anticipated music festivals at the school so far this year. For one, the BFlats had this date marked on their schedules since before school started. Mr. Patterson made sure that the B-Flats were ready to perform songs at this illustrious event. All 13 members performed solo pieces ranging from Whitney Houston to the Zac Brown Band to 70’s pop. Most notably were the riveting performances of Alex Atalla ‘21 and
James Markis ‘20. Their respective pieces of Roxanne by The Police and Pompeii by Bastille riled the crowd up. Their energy was definitely a high of the night. Not only did students sing, but members of the orchestra and jazz ensemble also displayed some of their pieces. Many Middle schoolers showed
“The night was a once in a lifetime experience.”
up and arguably gave the most stunning acts of the night with complex classical pieces. The Upper School jazz ensemble showed a unique piece as they performed In a Sentimental Mood by Duke Ellington. Mr. Fiori described his arrangement as an instrumental version of “a capella.”. Nevertheless, the horns marvelously played the piece without a rhythm section to anchor them in. The night was a once in a lifetime experience that the performers will never forget. ☐
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The Artist of the Issue: Andrew Jinhee Lee ‘20 By Andrew Jonghyun Lee ‘20 Panel Staff Throughout his six years at Belmont Hill, Andrew Jinhee Lee ‘20 has been one of the most accomplished members of the arts and music community. With powerful compositions and inspiring performances, Andrew has contributed much to Belmont Hill and continues to be an active participant in school events. Andrew’s musical journey began when he started playing piano at the age of 4 years old. When he was younger, his piano pieces focused exclusively on classical music; however, over time, his devoted enthusiasm for music led him to accumulate a wide variety of piano genres: classical, contemporary, and mainstream pop. In addition to playing the piano, Andrew began singing in the first grade. Although he has never competed in any vocal competitions, his love for music compelled him to perform in local school concerts and the coffee house. Andrew’s expression of choral music at Belmont Hill began in the Fourth Form when he joined the B-flats as a tenor 1 singer. Expanding from his usual musical comfort zone, he greatly appreciates the experience and support he received
from Brother P and other older musicians. One of his first live performances at Belmont Hill was his breathtaking “Lean On Me” solo in the opening school year chapel two years ago. For many students and faculty, that remarkable solo was one of the first signs of his gifted artistic ability. After joining the B-flats, Andrew actively involved himself in Belmont Hill’s Coffee Houses, where he
delivered powerful duet and solo performances of “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars and “Naked” by James Arthur. Outside of the school’s performing arts, Andrew is a gifted music composer and artist. In terms of visual art, Andrew works independently in digital video, creating photoshopped images of his personal interests. In terms of composition, Andrew creates vocal-piano songs which he
Andrew Performing in the Winter Coffee House (Photo by Chetan Shukla ‘20)
categorizes as “pop” or “soul” music and also writes in many different forms: poems, stories, and books. Currently, he is working on a realistic-fiction book titled “Fragments,” which is based on his life. The book, which is soon to be completed, is truly an admirable and impressive feat. Because of his personal interest, Andrew tries to experience and discover as many different forms of art and music. When I asked him about his inspiration for music composition, Andrew credited his father as one of his most influential musical idols: “I remember how my father was always deeply interested in music; he even won a few singing competitions in his former hometown of Oklahoma. I think he is one of the reasons I started to enjoy music and continue to create my own music.” Since entering Belmont Hill, Andrew has truly become a reliable and talented vocalist, pianist, and composer for Belmont Hill’s music and art community. He continues to become a source of inspiration for younger musicians and artists. Grateful to Belmont Hill for its support and appreciation of his work, Andrew hopes to build upon his work and continue composing and performing in his college! ☐
Setting A New Standard at The Student Art Show
By Daniel Bittner ‘22 Contributing Writer As the first semester of the 20192020 school year came to a close, once again the Landau Gallery was filled with the Student Art Show. Reflective of the hard work and imaginative ideas from a whole semester’s work, this year’s artwork of all different colors, styles, and mediums spectacularly filled all corners of the
gallery. Though every year this display of artwork is creative and provocative, this year’s variety did not disappoint. At the beginning of the gallery, wooden toboggans class lined the entrance of the building. Each mathematically precise, the way in which every toboggan was constructed, designed not only for style but also for its practical application, was seamless and creative. In ceramics, creative plates, tea-
pots, hats, and more lined the walls of the gallery. Ranging from bark-themed cups to wavy hats, each piece looked fluid and real. Meanwhile, the woodworking in the center of the gallery was particularly impressive. Functional tables ranging in size and style along with precise boxes showed astute creativity and care. Finally, the work in photography, depicting both ordinary and unusual aspects and views on everyday life
highlighted the back wall of the gallery, and the creative projects of digital video provided entertainment for all audiences. In all, the student art show was once again a great success. Those who were able to attend enjoyed a vast variety of interesting pieces from all mediums. As some of the best artwork produced by Belmont Hill students in recent memory, this semester’s Student Art Show has inspired many individuals for their future artwork. ☐
Form I Perspective Drawing category was added, giving an opportunity for First Formers to be recognized for artistic achievement. Harvey Rupp ‘21, Belmont Hill’s ASSIST Scholar from Australia, received the Best in Show category for his magnificent work in ceramics. Harvey said that he was “really happy to see that [he] had won the awards, particularly the ‘Best in Show’ for [his] tea set,” and that he “did not know until close to the day that there would be awards presented for the arts and so [he] was pleasantly surprised on the day.” The way the arts awards are presented leaves everyone waiting and anxious to hear the results until the final day as they are not announced before the school meeting. Harvey experienced
that “the community feel around the art studio in itself is really positive and welcoming, which I feel is a good incentive to take an art class in and of itself ” and recommends everyone to take an art class. Art at Belmont Hill has also al-
lowed Harvey to develop his creativity and freedom to pursue his interests while also developing a sense of community rather than art being a solitary hobby. ☐
The Student Art Awards Chapel
By Howard Huang ‘22 Panel Staff Mr. Kaplan recently led the biannual arts awards ceremony, in which students were recognized for achievement in art classes taken during the first semester. He urged all boys to try a new art during their time at Belmont Hill, referencing a famous Kurt Vonnegut quote: “practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow.” The presentation began with a shoutout to Daniel Xie ‘24 for his selfportrait, which won a gold key in the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Competition. Many of the awards given were similar to previous years; however, a new
Executive Editor Chetan Shukla ‘20 Sports Editor Jackson Riffe ‘20 Arts Editor Andrew Jin Lee ‘20 Photo Editor Jalen Walker ‘21 Back Page Editors Charlie Mullaney ‘20 Liam Peterson ‘20
Student Art Awards Chapel Winners (BH Communications Office)
Editors-in-Chief Jack Weldon ‘20 Charlie Donahue ‘20 Copy Editor Charles Booth ‘20
Assistant Editors James Markis ‘20 Tyler Forg ‘21
Sreetej Digumarthi ‘21
Howard Huang ‘22 Renny Gong ‘20 Charlie Wells ‘21
Faculty Advisors David Hegarty Juliette Zener News Editor Andrew Jo Lee ‘20 Opinion Editor Jake Pappo ‘20 Online Editor Abe Tolkoff ‘21 Graphics Editor Elias Hyde ‘20
The Panel, founded in 1953, is the official school newspaper of the Belmont Hill and Winsor schools. The Panel is the voice of the student body. We publish articles that are of consequence to the students, as well as the school communities. The views expressed in The Panel belong solely to the authors and editors and do not necessarily represent the student body, faculty or administration of either school. Any comment about the content should be addressed directly to the editors. The Panel encourages responsible opinion in the form of Letters to the Editor. We reserve the right to edit all submissions for length and content. Copyright 2013 The Panel. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the Editor-in-Chief. Published by the Belmont Printing Co., Belmont, MA 02478.
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